Following are some of the reactions to the dismissal by the Supreme Court on Thursday of a batch of public interest litigation (PIL) petitions seeking an independent probe into the death of CBI judge B.H. Loya, and its ruling that the judge died of only natural causes.
Bid to target BJP, leaders through 'fake' cases: Rajnath
The Supreme Court order has sent out a clear message that the judiciary cannot be “misled” by allegations based on political vendetta, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said.
The Minister, who posted a series of tweets, also came down heavily on “several attempts” to target the BJP and its top leaders through “fake” cases.
“It is extremely unfortunate that there have been several attempts of targeting the BJP and assassinating the character of its top leaders on the basis of ‘fake facts’ These attempts have failed miserably once again,” he said on Twitter.
The Supreme Court order had also raised serious questions about the intention of filing such PILs, he said.
Sad letter day in India’s history: Surjewala
The Congress, on its part, raised questions over the Supreme Court verdict, saying it was a sad letter day in the country’s history, and pitched for a ''fair'' probe into the matter.
Attacking the BJP for accusing party president Rahul Gandhi as being the invisible hand behind the petitions seeking probe, party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala termed the allegation a malicious attempt that showed the ruling party’s jitteriness.
''It is a sad letter day in India’s history. The suspicious circumstances in which Loya died, was a matter of deep concern for those who have faith in the judiciary. The copy of the entire judgment is not yet available. But there are still questions before those who believe in the judiciary,'' Mr. Surjewala said in New Delhi.
He raised 10 questions relating to the case as he criticised the verdict and noted that issue of criminality can be decided only through a probe, contending that no investigation was done into the death of Loya, who was hearing the high profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. In this background, the BJP’s attempt to make false capital out of the Supreme Court judgment must be condemned with strongest possible words, he said.
Mr. Surjewala stressed that the Congress was not among the petitioners seeking a probe into the judge’s death and recalled that the party had instead approached the people’s court and approached President Ram Nath Kovind along with 14 other Opposition parties. ''We reject and condemn the malicious attempts of the BJP to misinterpret the judgment for finger pointing,'' he said.
Rahul, Sonia should apologise for the 'sin', says Naqvi
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in New Delhi that the verdict had demolished the Congress’ efforts to defame the BJP’s top leadership and the party, and Mr. Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi should apologise for the “sin”.
The order had exposed the ''criminal conspiracy'' of the Congress and its “freelance friends”.When the Congress was in power, it failed to destroy Narendra Modi’s leadership and his credibility as Gujarat Chief Minister as well as BJP president Amit Shah. Now in opposition, the Congress was conspiring to defame BJP’s top leadership, he said.
Ruling has exposed Congress: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed the verdict and mounted an attack on Mr. Rahul Gandhi. “Rahul does not want that any person other than someone from the Gandhi family should run the country. The Congress stands exposed,” he tweeted.
Referring to a Congress press conferences and a Rahul Gandhi-led delegation to the President for a probe into Judge Loya’s death, the Chief Minister said the verdict had exposed the “ugly face” of the Congress.
Talking to reporters, he said, “The verdict in Judge Loya case has exposed the Congress once again. Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the people of the country. They have tried to create such an environment that develops negative emotions in the people for the government.”
Verdict will raise more questions: Congress
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the judgment would raise more questions and leave many of them unanswered unless logical reasons were found in it.
Also read: SC dismisses pleas seeking independent probe into judge Loya’s death
“Dispassionate analysis of Loya judgment must await its full reasoning. But unless logical reasons found in it, it will raise more questions and leave many unanswered,” he said on Twitter.
The apex court can remove suspicions only by dealing with them directly. “Am prepared to accept a) heavy emphasis in SC Loya regarding veracity of accompanying judges b) anguish regarding scandalous arguments (c) initiation of contempt if it arises (d) provided it is accompanied by solid reasons rebutting the 7/8 suspicious circumstances raised. Absent that, above lamentations not enough,” he tweeted.
'PILs a propaganda machinery against ruling leadership'
BJP leaders Meenakshi Lekhi and Aman Sinha said the PILs were a kind of “blackmail and propaganda machinery” aimed at maligning the people in power, and the Congress leadership should apologise to Mr. Shah.
“When a court takes a decision against them, they start crying foul, maligning people in power bringing disrepute to the constitutional institution,” Ms. Lekhi, MP from the New Delhi constituency and a lawyer, said, adding that those involved in the PILs on Judge Loya’s death were trying to “bring suspicion in the minds of people who are actually right thinking and have faith in the judiciary and democratic institutions.”
Mr. Sinha, a senior advocate and party spokesperson, said,”With this judgement, those who attempted to politicise and malign the judiciary with mala fide intent and ulterior motives stand exposed.” “The petitioners and Congress leadership should apologise to the nation and Mr. Shah for attempting to malign him,” he added.
Ms. Lekhi said “a hue and cry on the lines of Cambridge Analytica controversy was being created” to create doubts in the minds of the people who have faith in the judiciary. “It is a kind of blackmail basically and their propaganda machinery at large.”
“This is the same institution which has given bail after bail to Teesta Setalvad even in case of corruption for misuse of funds and not just carrying out propaganda mechanism. That is alright but dare find anything against these motivated groups then there is conspiracy for everyone to see,” she said. Misuse of PILs should be stopped and they should not become ''private interest litigations'' as has been held in Thursday's judgment.
“Political interest litigations”
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the “invisible” hand behind the petitions was that of the Congress and Mr. Gandhi, who tried to use the judiciary for “character assassination” of Mr. Amit Shah.
At a press conference, he described the PILs seeking an independent probe into the death of Judge Loya as “political interest litigations”.
Also read: Timeline of Judge Loya case
Mr. Patra noted that the Congress had held press conferences and Mr. Gandhi led a delegation of Opposition parties to the President seeking a probe. Mr. Gandhi should “apologise” and be “ashamed” for his ''conspiracy'' to target Mr. Shah and the Indian judiciary and democracy, he said.
The Congress engaged in all sorts of conspiracies after its ruling family loses power, he alleged and added that the attempt to use judiciary for political purposes was a “new low” in Indian politics.
Mr. Patra said the PIL pleas were filed to settle political scores, as the Opposition party was incapable of taking on Mr. Shah and Mr. Modi in the electoral field. - PTI
Mr. Patra tweeted, "The highest Court of the country throws out of window the lowest attempt to politicise the unfortunate heart attack of a Judge! No doubts on the veracity of the statements of the 4 judges, says the SC! While truth triumphs Rahul Gandhi loses face #SCslamsCongressOnLoya"
Prashant Bhushan , Supreme Court advocate, tweeted: "SC bench headed by CJI dismissed the petitions seeking Indep Inquiry into Judge Loya's death,saying there's no reason to disbelieve 2 Bombay judges who said(w/o affidavit)that 3 judges slept in room with 2 beds. This despite the ECG &Histopath report falsifying Heart attack story."
"The SC while dismissing the petition seeking independent Investigation into Judge Loya's death, said that "Judges can't lie. Their word must be treated to be the gospel truth. Anyone who questions judges is guilty of contempt"! Judges in their own cause?"
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted, "BJP IT cell chief: SC dismisses all PILs in the death of Judge Loya’s case calling them politically motivated. It found no reason to doubt the statement of sitting Judges. Rahul Gandhi bites dust but we should not let this pass. His motivated campaign should be called out. #SCJudgementSlamsCong".
PTI reports:
Judge Loya died in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, when he went to attend the wedding of a colleague’s daughter. He was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.
Judge Loya’s death had come under the spotlight in November 2017 after media reports quoting his sister had fuelled suspicion about circumstances surrounding it and its link to the Sohrabuddin case.
But his son on January 14 said in Mumbai that his father died of natural causes.
